Greens occupy an ever-present spot on the bottom shelf of my fridge, making their way into almost every meal I cook. Now the cavolo nero, cabbage and chard that saw me through winter are making way for more delicate, subtle and quicker-cooking greens: lemony sorrel, peppery watercress, verdant nettles and, my fleeting favourite, wild garlic. Using a few of these greens in one dish will amp up the flavours in your cooking, just think of the likes of a plate of good salad leaves, each bite has a unique flavour profile thanks to the different leaves your fork lands upon each time, using a few individually flavoured greens in your cooking will do just the same. Don’t worry though if picking nettles is a stretch or if your chances of finding a bunch of sorrel or or wild garlic are slim, supermarket greens will also make these dishes sing; try watercress, spinach and spring greens.
Wild garlic, nettle and asparagus frittata with ricotta (pictured above)
Frittatas are one of the dishes that often get thrown together with leftovers in my house. This one, though, was more deliberate and worthy of a meal and a shopping trip in itself. I have suggested using wild garlic and nettles, if you can pick or buy some near you.
Prep 10 min
Cook 15 min
Serves 4
2 tbsp olive oil, or butter
1 handful wild garlic, or 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
1 small bunch spring onions
Salt and black pepper
2 x 250g bunches asparagus
2 big handfuls springtime greens – nettles, spinach, sorrel, watercress
Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
8 eggs
100g ricotta
Put the grill on high. You will need an ovenproof frying pan about 25cm across.
Heat the oil (or melt the butter) in a pan. When warm, add the wild or chopped garlic and spring onions, and let them sizzle and soften. After two or three minutes, add the asparagus and cook for a further three or four minutes, until they have lost their rawness but are still crisp.
Add the greens (use tongs to protect your fingers if you are using nettles), allow everything to wilt for two minutes or so, season well, add the lemon zest and keep on a low heat.
Beat the eggs in a bowl and season well. Make sure they are well mixed. Pour the eggs into the pan. Let the eggs cook for a minute, to set, then use a rubber spatula to pull them away from the sides of the pan, allowing the raw egg to run into the gaps. Let that set for 10 seconds or so, then repeat three or four times. You are creating little layers of egg, which will mean a lighter frittata.
Once the eggs are mostly set but still a bit runny on top, scatter on the ricotta, then put the frittata under the grill to brown on top.
Use an oven glove to take the pan out, then loosen the frittata by running a spatula around the edges. Turn out the frittata by flipping the pan over on to a large plate. Then turn the frittata back over on to another plate so the pretty brown top is showing. Cut it into slices and eat warm or cold.
Herby cannellini on toast topped with spring greens
This quick brunch or dinner is a great way to use up the ends of a few bunches of greens – all things I generally have on hand. Use whatever herbs and greens you have or like. For greens, turnip tops, spinach, spring greens, cabbage or spinach would all work. Just be sure to add the tougher ones first and the more delicate leaves at the end of cooking, so they are evenly wilted. Any combination of soft herbs will work, too.
Prep 15 min
Cook 20 min
Serves 2
1 x 400g tin cannellini beans, drained
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 bay leaves
Salt and black pepper
2 chunky slices good bread
150g greens
Zest of 1 unwaxed orange
1 good pinch pul biber (Turkish chilli), or 1 small pinch dried chilli flakes
1 bunch soft herbs (I use a mixture of dill, parsley and coriander)
Blot the cannellini beans dry on a plate lined with kitchen paper.
In a 23cm frying pan, put half the oil and the bay leaves on a medium heat. Fry them for a minute or two, until the leaves blister and start to release their oils, then turn the heat right down and add the beans and a pinch of salt and pepper. Leave the beans cooking over a low heat for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the beans are cooking, heat a griddle on a medium–high heat for couple of minutes. When the pan is nearly smoking, add the bread and char for two to three minutes on each side, so you end up with smoky black stripes. Put on warm plates.
To cook the greens, add a splash of olive oil to a large frying pan. Once hot, add the greens, orange zest, chilli and a good pinch of salt. Cook until wilted and tender, then take off the heat and stir in the herbs.
Remove the bay leaves from the beans and crush half the beans with the back of a wooden spoon, so you’re left with a creamy, but still textured, beany mash. Pile the beans on to the warm toasts, top with the greens, the remaining olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and the turkish chilli flakes, then add a little more orange zest, if you like.
Food and prop styling: Anna Jones. Food assistant: Nena Foster
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